Cordouan Lighthouse

Cordouan stands on a shoal at the mouth of the Gironde, about seven kilometres offshore, and it is the oldest lighthouse in France still working. Louis de Foix began the present tower in 1584 as a monument as much as a light: it has a royal apartment, a chapel with a domed ceiling and stained glass on the second level, and carved pilasters, which is why it is called the king of lighthouses and the lighthouse of kings. It was raised to sixty-eight metres in the 1780s. UNESCO listed it in 2021. Landing depends on tide and sea state, and visitors walk out across the exposed shoal.

History

Small beacon towers stood on the islet from 880, and the first proper structure was built by Edward, the Black Prince, while Guyenne was English: a 16-metre tower with a wood fire on top, kept by a hermit, beside a small chapel, where passing ships paid two groats, the first known lighthouse dues. By the second half of the 16th century it had fallen into disrepair, threatening the Bordeaux wine trade, and the Paris architect Louis de Foix began the present tower in 1584, finished in 1611 as a Renaissance masterpiece inspired by Roman mausoleums and the palaces and cathedrals of his day. Three storeys were added in the 18th century, bringing it to 67.5 metres; it was listed as a historic monument in 1862 and a World Heritage Site in 2021 (Wikipedia, Cordouan Lighthouse).

What to look for

• The chapel inside - a domed and glazed chapel within the tower.
• The royal apartment - state rooms built into a working lighthouse.
• The shoal walk - crossing exposed sand from the boat at low tide.
• The lantern - the working light at sixty-eight metres.

When to go

May to September; trips run only on suitable tides and calm seas, so dates are limited and published in advance. Cancellations for weather are common. Booking is essential.

Good to know

Trips are few, tide-dependent and cancelled often; there is no guarantee of landing. The visit involves walking on wet sand and climbing about three hundred steps. Nothing on site but the tower.

Nearby

Royan lies northeast; Le Verdon is on the Medoc shore.

Key facts